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Pet Pangolins: Are They Better Off?

en.wikipedia.org

"Pangolins for sale,” and “Pangolins as pets.” These are the
two top suggested results when typing “Pangolin” into Google’s search bar. What
does this say? Instead of searches related to the ongoing threat that illegal
trade in Asia poses to Pangolins, it seems that online searchers may be more
concerned about getting one for themselves to keep as home pets. One might
suggest that this is a good thing however, that these pangolins are being kept
in a safe home with an owner that will most likely care for its well-being –
rather than being poached, killed, and eaten by consumers involved in the
illegal trade business currently thriving in Asia. But is that really true? Are
pangolins better off themselves as pets? A quick look into a pangolin’s natural
lifestyle may prove otherwise. ﻿﻿

To begin
with, pangolins are an insectivorous, toothless animal which feed on insects
such as ants or termites… sometimes up to 200,000 insects a day depending on
the size and species of pangolin! Unlike conventional pet food, I would imagine
that keeping a rather large supply of ant-sized insects for pangolin food
around the home might prove troublesome, which may lead to pangolin owners
substituting in foods that are unnatural to a pangolin’s diet.

huffingtonpost.co.uk

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿One of the
most marked characteristics of the pangolin are its large, curved claws used
naturally for digging through ant hills and tearing off tree bark. In a
home-setting though, how can the pangolin continue to do what it was naturally
meant to do? Digging is the pangolin’s livelihood! I cannot imagine too many
residential settings in which a pangolin can still be a pangolin in this regard. Another noticeable characteristic of
these animals are their small eyes and ears, which contribute very poor senses
of sight and hearing. Pangolins make up for this with their exceptionally keen
sense of smell, which can be incredibly helpful in the wild… but not so much in
a human home where smells are foreign, changing, and often masked by
odor-control chemicals. In addition, pangolins often use special anal glands to
secrete a pungent territorial scent which aids their sense of smell, but are
often removed by their owners to avoid stinky furniture and carpets, as well as
being sprayed by their frightened pet.

Finally,
pet pangolin owners are not likely to breed their pangolins, or at least not as
frequently and safely as zoos might through conservation efforts. This only
further contributes to the dying off of their already endangered population.
So, the question remains: are they better off? Are they better off being
poached and killed today, or sold as a pet and die later after living
unnaturally in an unsuitable habitat?

If you prefer a third, more helpful option, check out these great resources: